Santa has misplaced a summer delivery. His only lead is a trail of picnic supplies. Pick a patch of shade, a classroom or a living room for the search. A paper sign can stand in for every location, so there is no need to take children near a road, water or an actual cooler full of food.
Try a three-stop hunt with things you have
Choose a hat, a towel and a gift bag. Hand the group this first clue: “My brim gives your nose a little shade.” Put the second clue beside the hat: “I dry your toes after a splash.” Put the last clue beside the towel: “Two handles on top, a surprise tucked inside.” At the gift bag leave a note that reads “Delivery found! Choose someone to help hide the next surprise.”
Walk the trail yourself before players arrive. The clue in your hand points to the first object, the clue at that object points to the second and the last location holds the finish note. This one-step shift is easy to miss when setting up a longer hunt.
Set up the twelve-stop summer delivery
The printable kit below has twelve rhyming clues, matching location signs and a numbered host key. Put all the signs out first. Give clue 1 to the players. Place clue 2 at the picnic blanket and clue 3 at the sun hat. Continue down the key. At the last stop, put a finish note in the gift bag or beside its sign. Do a final walk with the host key in your hand.
For a short camp rotation, use the first six clues and finish at the water bottle. Make sure the finish note replaces the seventh clue. Keep the unused cards in an envelope so a helper cannot accidentally extend the route. A surprise can be as simple as choosing the next carol to hum or opening a note from a camp leader.
Let every player solve a clue
Give one child the job of reading, another the job of carrying the solved cards and a third the job of spotting the matching sign. Rotate jobs at each stop. For a larger group, let one small team hunt while another plays the seated mystery. Set the signs on a table, read a rhyme aloud and have players point to the best match. The place names on the answer key let a new volunteer lead without memorizing the route.
Hold the party on a July date that fits your group. Allow ten minutes for placing and testing the short route, then play one hunt and trade hosts. For a longer gathering, ask teams to write a bonus clue for a familiar object and test it on another team.
Get the printable
Santa’s Summer Scavenger Hunt includes 12 rhyming clue cards, 12 matching location signs, a host key, finish notes and a bonus clue worksheet. The hunt is $1.99.
Optional supplies
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Hallmark Christmas gift bags make a recognizable final stop for the summer delivery. A handmade paper bag works too.